Stool



June 3, 1952 B. F. HAMILTON STOOL Filed Sept.

IN V EN TOR.

fisens EHAMILTON,

nfraznvs.

Patented June 3, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOOL Bertis F.Hamilton, Columbus, Ind.

Application September 6, 1949,,Serial No. 114,117

6 Claims. (01. .15'5-'-'95J) This invention relates to stools, and moreparticularly to a so-called bar stool, which is a relatively high stoolprovidedwith a rotatable, upholstered seat. It is an object of theinvention to provide in such a stool an improved seatmounting which willpermit free rotation of the seat without binding. Another object of theinvention is to provide a stool, including a mounting for a rotatableseat, which can be simply and economically manufactured largely of metalparts.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form, I construct thestool with a base and a seat rotatably mounted on such base. The baseincludes a circular plate and legs secured to and extending downwardlytherefrom. The seat includes a sheet-metal bottom, desirably circular inform; and the plate and bottom are provided with opposed annular offsetsforming a ball race .containing an annular series of bearing balls. Thesheet-metal seat bottom is provided with an annular series of ears bentdownwardly and inwardly to engage loosely beneath the periphery of theplate and thus hold the base and seat together. Near its own periphery,the seat-bottom is provided with an annular series of ears which engageand locate the ends of resilient spring elements extending diametricallyacross the seat and supporting an appropriate upholstery pad.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Fig. 1 isa plan view of the stool with portions thereof broken away to illustratethe construction more clearly and Fig. 2 is a vertical axial sectionthrough the upper portion of the stool.

As previously indicated, a stool embodying my invention comprises a baseand a seat rotatably mounted on such base. As shown in the drawing, thebase comprises a circular plate In downwardly dished to provide airusto-conical wall ll having a series of circumferentially spaced holeseach of which receives the upper portion l2 of a leg. The upperleg-portions I2 are secured in the holes in the frusto-conical wall I l,conveniently by welding, and extend generally normally to such Wall. Inaddition to the upper leg-portion l2, each leg includes a generallyvertical lower portion l3 which extends downwardly to the bottom of thestool-base.

The seat of the stool includes a circular sheetmetal bottom l5 which isdownwardly dished as is clear from Fig. 2. The bottom of the dishedportion of the seat-bottom l5 and the peripheral portion of the plate l0are provided with opposed annular ofisets, l6 and II respectively,defining a ball race for the reception of bearing balls l8 desirablyspaced by appropriate spacers l9. Adjacent the periphery ortne plate In,the seatbottom i5 is provided with an annular series of integraldownwardly-struckyears 21, men are bent inwardly to engagefloosely bene'lithe periphery of the plate 'llhrthlls holding the seatbottom and thestool-base in assembled condition while permitting free rotation of theseat-bottom on the plate [0.

outwardly beyond its central, downwardly.

dished portion, the seat bottom I5 isprovid'ed with an annularseriesofjears 22'jwhich engage and locate the ends .ofj-jarc edxsilientelements" conveniently formed-i of! spring wire and ex* tendingdiametrically across the seat-bottom. The crossed resilient elements 23support an upholstery pad 24 covered with a cover 25 of appropriatesheet material snchkasleather or a synthetic leather-substitute.outwardly beyond the ears '22, the seat-bottomlS is provided with a.

downturned annular flange 26 which is overlapped by the periphery of thecover v25 such cover being in turn overlapped by the upper edge of asplit metal ring 21 adapted to be contracted by clamp bolts 28 extendingbetween inwardly directed flanges 29 at its ends.

In assembling the stool above described, the upper ends of the legsl2-l3 are inserted in the holes in the frusto-conical Wall ll of theplate l0 and are secured therein as by welding. The bearing balls l8 andspacers [9 are then put in position in the ball-race l'l and theseat-bottom I5, with the ears 2 I disposed to clear the periphcry of theplate [0, is put in place. After the seat-bottom is positioned andsupported by the bearing balls [8, the ears 2| are bent inwardly andupwardly to engage loosely beneath the periphery of the plate [0. Tocomplete the seat, the crossed resilient elements 23 are put in placeand anchored by bending the cars 22 over their ends. The pad 24 isplaced on the springs 23 and covered with the cover 25, and the ring 21is then clamped in position to secure the periphery of the cover. Itwill be understood that the exact order in which the steps of assemblyare performed will be determined largely by manufacturing convenience.

It is desirable to provide means for permitting the escape of air fromthe space beneath the arched springs 23 when those springs movedownwardly under load. For this purpose, the seat-bottom I5 and plate l0may be provided with air-passing openings 30. The annular series ofopenings 3| with which the seat bottom 15 is shown as provided areemployed merely for 10- cating purposes in certain manufacturingoperations and have no function in the finished stool.

It will be noted that the ball race Iii-l1 has a large diameter inrelation to the diameter of the seat. In consequence, the resultant ofmost loads applied to the seat will lie within the race l6l I and willnot tend to tip the seat and cause the retaining ears 2| to bearfrictionally against the lower surface of the plate I. As a result, allsubstantial forces transmitted between the seat and base will usually betransmitted through the;

bearing balls I8, and the seat will remain freely rotatable upon thebase without binding. The attachment of the upper ends of the legs tothe plate I0 at points lying within the ball race diametrically acrosssaid plate with their ends l6l1 makes possible an increase in the diamfeter of the ball race; while the provision ofthe frusto-conical wall llfacilitates attachment of the inwardly and upwardly sloping leg-portionsl2 to the plate l0.

Iclaim as my invention: 1

1. A stool, comprising a base and a seat, said base including a circularsheet-metal plate and an annular series of legs, the upper ends of saidlegs being rigidly secured to and interconnected by said plate, saidseat comprisinga sheet-metal bottom and a cover therefor, said plate andbottom being provided with opposed annular-offset portions definingaball-race, and an annular series of bearing balls in said race, saidbottom'being provided with an annular series of integral ears bent toengage loosely beneath the periphery of said plate to retain the seatand base in assembled relation.

2. A' stool, comprising a base and a seat, said base includinga circularsheet-metal plate and an annular series of legs, the upper ends of saidlegs being rigidly secured to and interconnected by said plate, saidseat comprising a sheet-metal bottom and a cover therefor, said plateand bottom being provided with opposed annular offset, portions defininga ball-race, and an annular engaging and held in place by said ears,said cover including an upholstery pad supported on said resilientelements.

5. The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that said plateis dished downwardly within said annular offset portion-to provide afrusto-conical wall, said wall being provided with eircumferentiallyspaced openings, said legs having upper portions which are received andsecured in said openings and extend outwardly generally normal to saidwall, and generally vertical lower portions.

6. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that saidseat-bottom is of larger diameter than said plate, said ears joiningsaid bottom at their outer ends.

BERTIS F. HAMILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the file ofthis patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS- V Date Number Name 826,917 Bedell July 24,19062,234,344 Hedges Mar. 11, 1941 2,498,837 Gelman Feb. 28, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date Switzerland Dec. 16, 1932

